Flame resistant fabric

Abstract

The invention provides a flame resistant woven fabric comprising a plurality of first yarns and a plurality of second yarns, wherein the first yarns are disposed in a first direction in the woven fabric, the second yarns are disposed in a second direction in the woven fabric, and the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The invention further provides a process for producing a flame resistant woven fabric.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A woven fabric, the fabric comprising:
 (a) a plurality of first spun yarns, the first spun yarns comprising a blend of cotton fibers and nylon fibers, the first spun yarns comprising about 45 to about 50 wt. % cotton fibers and about 50 to about 55 wt. % nylon fibers, based on the total weight of each yarn; and 
 (b) a plurality of second spun yarns, the second spun yarns comprising about 90 wt. % or more meta-aramid fibers, based on the total weight of each yarn; 
 wherein the first spun yarns are disposed in a first direction in the woven fabric, the second spun yarns are disposed in a second direction in the woven fabric, and the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the second spun yarns further comprise para-aramid fibers. 
     
     
       3. The woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second spun yarns further comprise static dissipative fibers. 
     
     
       4. The woven fabric of  claim 3 , wherein each yarn of the pluralities of first and second yarns comprises about 1 to about 3 wt. % static dissipative fibers, based on the total weight of each yarn. 
     
     
       5. The woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the woven fabric has a warp direction and a fill direction, and the first direction is the warp direction of the woven fabric. 
     
     
       6. The woven fabric of  claim 5 , wherein the fabric is woven in a warp-faced twill weave or a warp-faced sateen weave. 
     
     
       7. The woven fabric of  claim 6 , wherein the weave is a warp-faced twill weave selected from the group consisting of 2/1, 3/1, 3/2, and 4/1 twill weaves. 
     
     
       8. The woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first yarns comprises about 50 to about 75 wt. % of the fabric, based on the total weight of the fabric. 
     
     
       9. The woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second yarns comprises about 25 to about 50 wt. % of the fabric, based on the total weight of the fabric. 
     
     
       10. The woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the woven fabric comprises about 60 to about 100 of the first yarns per inch in the first direction and about 30 to about 60 of the second yarns per inch in the second direction. 
     
     
       11. The woven fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the woven fabric has a fabric weight of about 4 to about 8 ounces per square yard.